Field of this Disclosure
This disclosure relates generally to medical devices, and more particularly, to medical devices utilized for spinal procedures.
Description of the Related Art
Degenerative disc diseases are common disorders that can impact all or a portion of a vertebral disc, a cushion-like structure located between the vertebral bodies of the spine. Degenerative disc diseases may lead, for example, to a disc herniation where the vertebral disc bulges out or extrudes beyond the usual margins of the disc and the spine. Disc herniation, in particular, is believed to be the result of excessive loading on the disc in combination with weakening of the annulus due to such factors as aging and genetics. Such degenerative disc diseases are also associated with spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the bony and ligamentous structures of the spine. Although disc herniation can occur anywhere along the perimeter of the disc, it occurs more frequently in the posterior and posterior-lateral regions of the disc, where the spinal cord and spinal nerve roots reside. Compression of these neural structures can lead to pain, parasthesias, weakness, urine and fecal incontinence and other neurological symptoms that can substantially impact basic daily activities and quality of life.
Temporary relief of the pain associated with disc herniation, or other degenerative disc diseases, is often sought through conservative therapy, which includes positional therapy (e.g. sitting or bending forward to reduce pressure on the spine), physical therapy, and drug therapy to reduce pain and inflammation. When conservative therapy fails to resolve a patient's symptoms, surgery may be considered to treat the structural source of the symptoms. When surgery fails to resolve a patient's symptoms, more drastic measures may include disc replacement surgery or vertebral fusion.
There are numerous implantable devices that have been developed for disc replacement and vertebral fusion. Such implantable devices, also referred to as cage systems, may be deployed to replace the vertebral disc and fuse the adjacent vertebrae, relieving pain and providing increased mobility to the patient. However, known implantable devices and methodologies have drawbacks. For example, many of the implantable devices currently available do not allow for an ample amount of materials to encourage bone growth to be positioned within and around the devices and adjacent vertebral bones. Such gone growth materials allow for a higher level of fusion of the adjacent vertebrae, providing increase stabilization and minimize the likelihood of further issues in the future. Also, many implantable devices are large structures that are not easily utilized in a minimally invasive procedure. Rather, they may require surgical procedures allowing greater access, which subjects the patient to higher risks of disease and prolonged infection.
There is a need for implantable devices intended for replacement of a vertebral disc, which allow for ample placement of bone growth material that may lead to better fusion between adjacent vertebral bones. There is a further need for such implantable devices to be provided during minimally invasive procedures, reducing the risk of infection and allowing for quicker healing of the patient.